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1 Week in Cape Town: Itinerary, Photos, and Recommendations

Why We Went: When my brother graduated college last year, I gifted him a plane ticket to anywhere in the world, where we’d explore for a week (I know, I’m the best sister). We wanted to go to a place that we’d never remotely been to before and that had a mix of history, culture, outdoors, and sights. A spreadsheet of planning, 24 hours of flying, and many texts to our parents assuring them that yes, we’ll be alright later, we arrived in Cape Town, South Africa. I’m sharing my 8-day itinerary with tips on some of our favorite spots and insights we learned about this politically charged and unique place.

On first impression, Cape Town reminded me of San Francisco. It’s a town with terrain, reminiscent of SF’s hills. It also boasts proximity to water, international cuisine, and a lack of big branded restaurants, and it’s got its own wine country just an hour away. The people are outdoorsy and warm, eager to talk about their favorite bar to visit or their struggles with reclaiming the land they lost during apartheid. And Uber is the transportation of choice, bolstered by its nominal prices ($2-3 a ride) and need to stay safe at night (Cape Town is much safer than Johannesburg, but break-ins and muggings are still common for tourists).

But Cape Town, and the rest of South Africa, has deep history seeped into its veins. Life in a post-apartheid world is grim. Black Africans continue to make up most of the working class, and many of them live outside the city in townships set up by the government. Afrikaans is the official language, but they still choose to speak their native tribe tongue, likely Zulu or Xhosa. The older generation has vivid memories of not being able to vote or sit on benches not designated to them, and there’s a fierce dislike of President Zuma, not unlike our sentiments against the US president. The street names are all Dutch derivatives, but the culture and pride are strictly African, with a fierceness to restore and preserve what was lost.

Our trip comprised a little bit of everything, which is exactly what we wanted. We didn’t want to be too rushed, so we opted out of doing a safari, although that’s definitely an option if you want. I have many favorite moments, but honestly, the best part was spending time with Yash uninterrupted, which we hadn’t done in years. I’d like to think we’re equal parts of clowns, cultured, and curious. We spent our days as follows:

Day 1 (Saturday) // Jet lagWe arrived after 24 hours of flying (British airways), so we were TIRED, but still fit in:

Old Biscuit Mill { Saturday goods and food market. It’s a little overwhelming, but a fun place to check out local crafts }Woodstock Brewery { A flight of local beers is inexpensive and refreshing }Tribe Coffee { Part motorcycle shop, part cafe, and a staple for the rest of our trip }Pot Luck Club { Located above Old Biscuit Mill, it’s got good views and nice seafood }Willoughby & Co { It’s mall location seems weird, but the sushi is great }

Day 2 // Table MountainOriginally we were going to climb Table later in the week, but the weather was so perfect that we went for it. It took us 1.5 hours up Platteklip Gorge, and let me tell you, that was one of the hardest hikes I’ve done in my life. We DEF did not bring enough water and bragged so much about how fit we were only to be dying in sweat. The top of the mountain has some amazing views and is weirdly super lush, so 10/10 worth it. We refueled at:

Truth Coffee { A steampunk/Burning Man cafe with amazing avocado toast and cold brew }Gold Restaurant { A prix-fixe menu featuring dishes from all over Africa and live entertainment. It’s touristy and a little much, but it was a fun way to spend an evening }** Pro tip: In general SA is cheap, but avocado toast is legit $2. I ate it everyday, no regrets.**

Day 3 // Cape of Good HopeThis drive is GORGEOUS and worth taking your time; we spent nearly the entire day doing it. We visited Hout’s Bay (and made a new friend, as you can see above), Boulder’s Beach, and Cape Point Lighthouse, which is underestimated. We ate at:

Hemelhuijs { A brunch place with a unique savory bread called mosbolletjie that they use for toast }Bombay Brasserie { Bougie Indian restaurant, but very very good }

Day 4 // Cape TownThere are lots of sights like Bo-Kaap and the District 6 museum. Breakfast is solid at Jason Bakery.

Day 5-6 // Wine countryMario, our wonderful driver, took us all around the various wineries, and there are a LOT. By the end of it, we bought SEVEN bottles of wine. SA is famous for its pinotage, a cross between pinot noir and hermitage. and wineries have slight variations of it, all of which are good. At Franshhoek, where we stayed, we tried our hand at feeding ostriches, which I’m convinced are the scariest animals on earth. Our wineries of choice:

Fairview { They raise their own goats for milk and cheese, which you can pet as you sip }Camberly { Hands down the best place. We chatted with the somms for hours as we tried wines and had lunch. It’s tucked away and totally worth it }

Day 7 // Cape TownNo day is complete without a beach day! Camps Bay Beach is unique in that it’s surrounded by the towering Table Mountain, Lion’s Head, and Signal Hill, which is also a great place to watch the sunset in the evening. We loved Black Sheep for dinner.

Day 8 // SHARK CAGE DIVINGYou think I wouldn’t go to SA and not swim in a cage for great white sharks?? The water was freezing, the boat was rocky, but seeing 5 white sharks up to 16 feet in length was all the validation I needed.

Pro tip: Cage diving often gets canceled if the weather isn’t right. Book early so that if they need to reschedule, you can still go during your trip. We originally had planned to go on Monday but ended up going on Friday.

Day 9 // Cape Town and departureAfter a leisurely breakfast, we explored Zeits, a contemporary art museum. It houses art from African artists and is fascinating, if not sometimes confusing.

There’s so much more that simply can’t fit into this already long post. Visit Cape Town to see for yourself, and reach out if you have any questions or comments!

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About

Shikha here - a Bay Area native, content marketer, and pastry cook-turned blogger living in San Francisco. I see the world through food (and Drake lyrics), and am here to help you eat life to its fullest.